Our 2016 Nickel & Nickel Air Show Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignonmakes its debut next month, and we couldn't be more excited!

Introducing a brand new wine to our Nickel & Nickel Single-Vineyard Cabernet portfolio always gets us fired up, especially when it comes from an extraordinary Oakville vineyard in the heart of the Napa Valley.

With only 175 cases made, the 2016 Nickel & Nickel Air Show Cabernet is extremely limited, and we're excited to share the story behind the wine and its unique name before the June release. We're also delighted to extend a special preorder opportunity to our long-standing Far Niente and Nickel & Nickel club members and supporters. More on that here.

About the Vineyard:

When we acquired this Oakville vineyard in the heart of Napa Valley in 2012, we knew we had something special. Considering Oakville is a coveted two-mile swath of well-drained Napa Valley vineyards, acquiring land in this acclaimed Cabernet-producing AVA is a rarity. This particular site stretches across the heart of the region, where the fall season is consistently cool and dry and the sun-drenched summers are ideal for ripening our favorite thick-skinned Bordeaux wine varietal, Cabernet Sauvignon. We spent several years getting to know this remarkable new site, as well as carefully replanting specific blocks to clones of Cabernet that best suited its unique soils and microclimates, before harvesting and vinifying our first Cabernet from the property in 2016. Nearly three years later, the debut vintage has the textured mid-palate and firm core of tannins that our best Oakville vineyards always seem to possess, and we are delighted to share this new wine with lovers of single-vineyard Cabernet!

About the Name:

There's a story behind the naming of each and every property in our single-vineyard portfolio, and the Air Show Vineyard is no different. Although many names were proposed for this 18-acre stretch of Cabernet vines, one particularly stood out among the flock: Air Show.

No, it was not a reference to the Blue Angels or San Francisco's Fleet Week, nor was it a nod to historic military or civilian flyovers (though this centrally located Napa Valley vineyard would grant you stellar views). Rather, it was a tribute to the amazing flocking phenomenon that occurs when hundreds - or even thousands - of starlings dive, break and swoop together in unison over the vineyard.

This dance of the blackbirds is called a murmuration, and no matter how many times we've witnessed it, we're always awed by its intricate beauty. When it was added to the list of potential names for our new wine, it was agreed by all that it was a fitting title for an Oakville Cabernet that was, by turns, both complex and compellingly lovely.

Acquiring This New Cabernet:

The 2016 Nickel & Nickel Air Show Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignonofficially releases next month. We made just 175 cases of this inaugural release, and we're excited to give our club members and long-standing single-vineyard supporters the opportunity to preorder the new wine now through May 26.